ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: October 20, 1997

File No.3652

CC File No.: 5554

TO:Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic

FROM:General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:Bus Stop Relocations

RECOMMENDATION

A.THAT the bus stop changes listed in Appendix A be approved.

B.THAT $2,640 to pay for litter receptacles at all bus stops on the new transit routes be funded out of Contingency Reserve, and that the Sanitation Operating Budget be increased by $5,700 annually for emptying and maintaining the receptacles.

C.THAT Boundary Road between Marine Way and North Fraser Way be approved as a bus route.

D.THAT BC Transit be requested to work with the City to quickly reestablish in all time periods the eastbound bus stop on Georgia Street west of Gilford Street for the bus systems based in both North Vancouver and West Vancouver, in order to serve Stanley Park and the western portion of the West End.

COUNCIL POLICY

The City owns the streets and regulates their use for BC Transit buses and bus stop locations.

PURPOSE

This report recommends bus stop locations for new bus services and for improvements to transit customer service, operations and safety.

NEW ROUTES

Bus stops are required for the following new routes:

-West End Loop Service (Figures 1 and 2)

It is recommended that the new stops on westbound Robson Street at Cambie Street, and on southbound Richards Street at Cordova Street be approved. The stops were installed when the service began in September.

-Fraser Lands Service (Figures 3, 4 and 5)

Seven new bus stops are recommended for the new service which starts in December. In view of the concerns of local residents, no stops have been installed on Fraserview Drive.

-Extension of Burnaby #116 Service (Figure 6 and 7)

BC Transit extended the #116 route in September, as illustrated in Figure 6, in order to provide peak period transit service to local industries adjacent the Fraser River. The new route on Boundary Road and new stop on Boundary Road at Kent Avenue South are recommended for approval.

SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS

It is proposed to change a number of bus stop locations in order to:

-improve safety by encouraging transit patrons to use a signal when crossing arterial streets

-provide improved access to bus stops for seniors and other less mobile transit customers who require signals in order to cross major streets

-Improve safety for BC Transit vehicles operating on City streets.

Locations for this treatment, based on requests from the public and BC Transit, or initiated as a result of street construction or new developments, are:

-Kingsway at King Edward Avenue (Figure 8)

-Kingsway Miller Street to Victoria Drive (Figure 9)

-Kingsway, Slocan Street to Duchess Street (Figure 10)

-Knight Street at 22nd (Figure 11)

-Knight Street and 33rd (Figure 12)

-Knight and 53rd (Figure 13)

-Macdonald and 16th (Figure 14)

-Powell Street, Heatley Street to Clark Drive (Figure 15)

-Powell Street, Commercial Drive to Victoria Drive (Figure 16)

-Rupert Street and 3rd Avenue (Figure 17)

WEST END/STANLEY PARK - EASTBOUND GEORGIA STREET BUS STOP

In July 1994, BC Transit discontinued the eastbound bus stop on Georgia Street at Chilco Street at the south end of the Stanley Park Causeway (see Figure 18), for buses operating out of North Vancouver and West Vancouver, in order to deal with a safety concern regarding eastbound traffic near the curve immediately west of Chilco Street.

City staff requested BC Transit to establish a replacement stop further to the east, closer to Gilford Street. This is an important stop for West End residents and Stanley Park visitors as the next available stop is east of Denman Street, an unacceptable walking distance away.

In January 1995, in response to public complaints about the loss of service, an acceptable stop was reintroduced west of Gilford Street for West Vancouver blue buses only, for all time periods except the AM peak period. However, while BC Transit is prepared to instruct its operators to use this stop, the union safety committee for the North Vancouver operating centre is not prepared to recommend this stop be used. BC Transit plans to conduct a detailed engineering safety study to confirm the stop is safe.

Staff are drawing this to Council’s attention as the situation is now more urgent. BC Transit recently started operating a local service on Georgia Street using North Vancouver buses. As a result, now both local Vancouver and North Shore transit customers are regularly affected by the lack of a stop at the entrance to Vancouver. As staff have been unsuccessful in convincing BC Transit to reestablish the stop, it is recommended that Council request BC Transit to introduce a stop at Gilford Street as a high priority.

DISCUSSION

The above new stops and bus stop changes will provide better and safer transit service. Landing areas and shelters will be installed where appropriate with funding from existing programs. It is recommended that $2,640 to pay for litter receptacles at all bus stops on the new transit routes be funded out of Contingency Reserve, and that the Sanitation Operating Budget be increased by $5,700 annually for emptying and maintaining the receptacles. The inter-stop spacings created will be generally within maximum spacing guidelines. BC Transit supports the new bus stop locations.

The new routes discussed herein have been the subject of extensive public discussion, and have been priorities for implementation. There has not been the same extent of public process to deal with the position of new bus stops or relocating existing bus stops in advanceof Council approval. However, a procedure has been established so that any concerns or questions raised by residents or merchants are handled and resolved quickly by staff or reported to Council if necessary. All the stops have been proposed at locations based on Council guidelines. The stops are on through streets that have been designated as transit routes and, in most cases, parking is already restricted on these routes.

* * * * *

APPENDIX A

RECOMMENDED BUS STOP CHANGES

It is recommended that the following bus stops be established:

-Westbound Robson Street at Cambie Street

-Southbound Richards Street at Cordova Street

-Northbound Victoria Drive at South East Marine Drive

-Westbound South East Marine Drive at Matheson Crescent

-Northbound Matheson Crescent at South East Marine Drive

-Northbound Matheson Crescent south of Champlain Crescent

-Southbound Matheson Crescent at Champlain Crescent

-Southbound Champlain Crescent at Arlington Street

-Southbound Champlain Crescent at Blake Street

-Southbound Boundary Road at Kent Avenue South

-Westbound Kingsway at King Edward Avenue

-Northbound Knight Street at 22nd Avenue

-Northbound Knight Street at 33rd Avenue

-Northbound Knight Street at 53rd Avenue

-Westbound 16th Avenue at Macdonald Street

-Southbound Macdonald Street at 16th Avenue

-Westbound Powell Street at Glen Drive

-Westbound Powell Street at Hawks Avenue

-Eastbound Powell Street at Glen Drive

-Westbound Powell Street at Commercial Drive

-Northbound Rupert Street at 3rd Avenue

It is recommended that the following bus stops be discontinued:

-Westbound South East Marine Drive East of Matheson Crescent

-Westbound Kingsway at Dumfries Street

-Westbound Kingsway at Perry Street

-Westbound Kingsway at Beatrice Street

-Westbound Kingsway at Duchess Street

-Northbound Knight Street at 21st Avenue

-Northbound Knight Street at 34th Avenue

-Northbound Knight Street at 54th Avenue

-Southbound Macdonald Street at 15th Avenue

-Southbound Macdonald Street at 17th Avenue

-Westbound Powell Street at Rogers Street

-Westbound Powell Street at Cordova Diversion

-Eastbound Powell Street at Raymur Avenue

-Eastbound Powell Street at Rogers Street

-Westbound Powell Street at Salsbury Drive

-Eastbound Powell Street at Salsbury Drive

-Northbound Rupert Street at 2nd Avenue

* * * * *

(c) 1997 City of Vancouver